Some Storms Are Hard To Forget
by XxFallingFeathersxX
Summary: Pinefrost is an aging medicine cat for fierce HuntClan, and yet StarClan has sent him no signs of who will be his successor. One night, he's visited by his sister in his dreams, with a startling prophecy. But what if Stormkit doesn't want to be a medicine cat? Rated T for violence in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1 - Rising Storm

**Welcome to the world of another OC of mine! And thank you guys so much for all your support on "Brackenfire's Death" as well as "The Brightest Sky", your support means a lot! So enjoy, and review please!**

Pinefrost knew he was getting old. His bright calico fur had faded, his muzzle going from its natural black and gold to a fraying white. He had been HuntClan's medicine cat for moons upon countless moons. It took a very special cat to be a medicine cat, and StarClan would send medicine cats a sign when they found a cat to be their apprentice.

But Pinefrost hadn't had a sign. And he knew that his time in HuntClan was drawing to a close. Splashstar often asked if Pinefrost had heard anything. He even spent many nights at the Starpool, hoping and praying to StarClan for a sign— _any_ sign would do!

So, as he lapped up the tansy leaves he had taken to eating every night for his sore joints, he sighed again as he thought about his desperate Clan, and what would happen to them if he left them without a medicine cat. And he settled down stiffly into his nest, tucked his nose under his paw, and prayed for a sign until he fell asleep.

He woke up at the Starpool. Pinefrost leapt to his paws. How had he gotten here?

"Relax, my dear."

Pinefrost's heart pounded as he turned around. Juniperberry stood there, her white and black fur shining in the moonlight. Her paws swirled with star shine, and her pelt was lean and sleek. Her ears were unmarked, and her shining blue eyes were clear and free of strife. Pinefrost's heart melted as he stared at his litter-sister.

"Juniperberry," he finally rasped, choked with emotion. The last time he had seen her was before she had died, fell underneath the claws of a badger. All because he had little battle training.

"Don't grieve, dear brother," she purred, coming forward and brushing muzzles with him. His body vibrated with the force of his own purring, and he had to struggle to focus on her words. _StarClan, I missed you_ , he longed to say. _I'm so sorry. I couldn't save you. I couldn't save myself. You're…_

"Pinefrost." She pulled away far too soon and fixed him with a serious gaze. "Your time in HuntClan is drawing to a close."

His purr died in his throat. Hope rose like a bird. "Does this mean… Have you picked an apprentice for me?" he whispered, his fur bristling excitingly.

Juniperberry dipped her head. At the same time, a loud peal of thunder echoed over the Starpool. Pinefrost jerked his head up. Clouds were rolling in with unearthly speed, lightning flashing in them. The thing was—the lightning was _green_.

"You will know this kit when you see him," Juniperberry whispered. "Some storms are hard to forget."

Pinefrost turned to look to his sister, alarmed, but her outline was already fading.

"No! Juniperberry, please!" He leapt forward, pawing at her shape. His paw went through her like breaking through water. "Please don't leave me again!" His heart ached.

"I'll always be with you, brother," she whispered.

"Juniperberry!" he wailed like a kit, throwing himself forward. The stone under his paws disappeared and he yelped as he tripped into the Starpool.

"Pinefrost!"

He jerked awake, only to find himself belly-deep in the water pool in his own den, spluttering. He splashed out of it, shivering, as he shook out his wet pelt. With a hiss, he spun to see who had dared to interrupt his dream of Juniperberry.

Firefall was standing at the entrance to the den, looking concerned. "Why are you swimming?" he asked, then shook his head. "No time. Skyleap is kitting!"

His wet fur forgotten, Pinefrost immediately began to dig through his mind for what herbs he would need. He took a deep breath and shook himself out again. "Go tell Duskeyes to keep her kits out of the den. Take them to the apprentices' den, take them to Splashstar for all I care—I am going to need room to help Skyleap."

Firefall nodded and disappeared, the ferns swishing behind him. Pinefrost made a hasty leaf wrap—poppy seeds, borage, thyme, tansy just in case—and, snatching it up, darted out of the den.

The near-full moon floated high over the camp, the stars shining down in the endless Silverpelt sky. There were soft murmurings from the warriors' den. Splashstar was emerging from his den, likely roused by the low wailing that was echoing through the camp. As Pinefrost took a deep breath of night air, he saw Duskeyes gently urging her sleepy kits out of the nursery.

"Why do we have to get out of our nest, Mama?" Jaykit whined, his bright blue eyes fuzzy with sleep, and his long gray pelt sticking in every direction.

"I was having a really great dream," Aspenkit yawned, "and I was as big as a badger, and I was chasing a rabbit…" Her black pelt blended in with the shadows, and only her white paws showed where she was.

"I was warm!" tiny black and white Badgerkit wailed from where he was being carried by his mother. Firefall slipped out of the warriors' den and gently took Badgerkit from his mate.

"You can be nice and warm again here in a moment," Duskeyes promised. "We're going to go sleep with your father for a little bit so Skyleap can rest."

 _Skyleap_. Pinefrost was so caught up in watching the family that he had almost forgotten about the queen. He limped across the clearing as fast as his stiff joints could carry him. Pushing into the nursery, he hurried to the back, where Skyleap was stretched out, moaning, with her mate Talonslash crouched by her head. He was licking her face and ears, whispering words of soft encouragement.

"Talonslash, I need you to be useful," Pinefrost growled. His everything ached and he was still wet and stiff, and although he knew what promise the new little kits held for the Clan, he was grouchy anyway. _Couldn't these little bundles have waited until dawn?_ he thought grumpily. "I need you to get me a stick for Skyleap to bite down on, and have Splashstar get some water-soaked moss from my den."

Talonslash hesitated.

"She needs it!" Pinefrost growled, bristling. Talonslash dipped his head and darted out of the den. Pinefrost turned his attention to Skyleap, running one paw over her belly.

"Is it supposed to hurt this much?" Skyleap moaned. A rustle behind Pinefrost made his ear twitch, and before he could respond, Duskeyes was back, crouching by Skyleap.

"You won't remember the pain once you see your little bundles," Duskeyes murmured reassuringly. "Just focus on Pinefrost—he knows what he's doing."

"I think there's just two," Pinefrost muttered. "Now—listen to me very carefully— _push,_ Skyleap!"

The queen yowled and trembled, and a tiny bundle slid out onto the moss. Duskeyes darted over and grabbed it, nipping the sac with her teeth. Tiny wails echoed through the den.

"That's one, Skyleap," Pinefrost urged. Talonslash returned with a stick, and laid it in front of his mate. "Bite down on that if the pain is too much," he instructed. "Talonslash, I need you to leave. Duskeyes and I have this taken care of."

"But—," he tried to protest. Pinefrost bared his teeth in a snarl.

"I can't work with you to trip over!" he barked. "Out! Splashstar!"

The leader, who had come in to drop off the bundle of soaking moss, dipped his head hastily and ushered Talonslash out of the den.

"I'll be back my love!" he called. "Stay strong!"

"Now— _push!_ "

The stick splintered in Skyleap's jaws as she yowled again. Duskeyes ducked to grab the other kit, nudging the first one up to Skyleap's belly. Pinefrost ran his paw over her belly and was relieved to feel no more tiny bodies.

"One tom and one she-cat," Duskeyes purred. "They're beautiful!"

"You did well, Skyleap," he murmured, nudging the moss closer. She lapped up a few mouthfuls before turning her attention to her new kits. The she-kit was white, with black ears and paws like her father. The tom was solid gray, except the tip of his tail, which was black. Pinefrost pawed through the wrap and pushed the borage over to Skyleap. "Eat these, they'll help your milk come," he said softly before turning and padding slowly out.

 _StarClan, I'm too old for this._


	2. Chapter 2 - Tension Building

He met Splashstar halfway back to his den, and to his warm nest and dreams of Juniperberry. Talonslash had escaped his leader's clutches and was back in the den with his mate. Duskeyes was returning to the warriors' den and to her mate and kits.

"Firefall told me you went for a midnight swim," Splashstar said humorously. Pinefrost glanced down at himself and saw that his pelt had dried in spikes. Too tired to really care, Pinefrost sat down with a wince.

"You know," he joked weakly, "most cats my age would have retired by now."

A shadowed look entered Splashstar's eyes. "Any news from StarClan?" he asked.

"Actually…" Glancing around to make sure no cat was listening, Pinefrost began to tell Splashstar in muted tones about his dream with Juniperberry.

"And she said, 'some storms are hard to forget'," he finished with a sigh.

Splashstar had sat down as well, and was staring off to the side, obviously thinking hard. "It hasn't rained in a few days," he said slowly. "Maybe there's a storm coming?"

Pinefrost shook his head. "I think it's more cryptic than that." Exhaustion pulled at his everything. "Can we riddle this out in the morning?" he rasped. "I need some rest."

Splashstar didn't look thrilled, but dipped his head anyway and let Pinefrost shamble away. When the grizzled medicine cat lay back down, he closed his eyes hard and willed himself to return to his dream with Juniperberry. But when sleep finally returned, it was dreamless.

He awoke the next morning to a camp abuzz with news of Skyleap's kitting. Yawning, he stretched stiffly and headed out into the clearing.

The air was thick with heat, not unusual for the middle of greenleaf. The dawn patrol seemed to have already left, as few cats milled about. Jaykit, Badgerkit, and Aspenkit were play fighting with Firefall in the clearing while Duskeyes dozed. Talonslash was exiting the warriors' den and heading for the nursery. Two apprentices, Whiskerpaw—a solid white tom—and Foxpaw—a ginger and white tom with big paws—were padding side by side out of the nursery, purring. Splashstar was speaking with his deputy Tuftyears—a tortoiseshell tom with fluffy tufts of fur on his ears—beside the Speaking Rock.

Pinefrost shambled over to the fresh-kill pile, poking through the meager offerings. Clearly no patrols had gone out hunting yet. With a sigh, Pinefrost picked up a shrew and a plump squirrel and glanced around for a place to eat them.

The Clan's two elders—Yulethorn and Flowerear—were sunning themselves on a flat rock that faced the direction of the setting sun. Pinefrost wandered over, humming a greeting.

"Well, if it's not Pinefrost," Yulethorn rumbled. His sight had failed him in his age, but no cat's nose or ears were sharper. Flowerear, only a few moons younger than Yulethorn, had retired with him so he wouldn't have to be alone in the elders' den.

"The only cat who refused to retire," Flowerear purred rustily. "Come to share some prey with us?"

"If you'll have me," Pinefrost returned jovially. Yulethorn shifted over and gestured with his tail at the rock.

"The warmth helps relax your stiff joints," Yulethorn meowed, bending down and sniffing at the squirrel. Pinefrost purred in happiness as he settled down, letting the heat seep into his bones.

"Have you had a sign about who will be your apprentice?" Flowerear asked.

"It's about time for you to retire," Yulethorn teased, taking a bite of the squirrel.

"I think so," Pinefrost replied, gnawing on the shrew's leg. "I spoke with Splashstar about it last night after Skyleap's kitting, but I can't talk about it because we haven't figured out what it means yet."

Flowerear purred rustily. "You and your secrets, Pinefrost," she teased.

They sat and basked in the sun, eating and chatting idly, until Pinefrost finally rose to his paws. His joints felt freer than they had in many days, and he was refreshed.

"If you'll pardon me," he mewed, dipping his head, "I must go check on Skyleap and the kits."

"We still have yet to see the little furballs," Yulethorn rasped with a purr. "All the young'uns have been in and out of the nursery all day looking at them, so we figured we'd wait our turn."

"They're beautiful, when you get a chance to see them," Pinefrost rumbled, waving his tail in farewell as he padded towards the nursery. The dawn patrol had returned, carrying prey, and another hunting patrol had gone out while he had been chatting. Pinefrost ducked into the cool dark of the nursery, meowing a greeting.

"Hello, Pinefrost," Talonslash purred, standing up from the back of the den. "Come to check up on the kits?"

"And their mother," Pinefrost replied, padding up. Skyleap looked up from where she was watching her kits nurse. The black and white she-cat was still nursing, kneading Skyleap's belly with paws that almost disappeared into her mother's black belly fur. The little gray tom, as Pinefrost watched, rolled away from his mother's belly and yowled loudly. Skyleap nudged him in close with her hind foot, and he lay still, then began sleeping.

"How are you feeling, Skyleap?" the grizzled medicine cat asked. "Is your milk coming okay?"

"Judging by their full bellies," Skyleap purred, "I would say so."

"Good." Pinefrost sat down, sniffing at the tiny bundles. They smelled like milk and lavender. "Have you decided on names?"

"I believe so," Talonslash murmured. "That's what we were discussing when you entered." He stretched his striped tail forward and touched the little she-kit's head. "This is Petalkit, because her pink pads, with her black and white fur, look like cherry blossom petals."

"And the little tom?" Pinefrost said, sniffing at the gray kit's distended belly, full of milk. He smelled healthy—just sleepy.

But he froze as Skyleap answered, with a mew soft as a bubbling stream.

"That's Stormkit."

 **DUN DUN DUNNNN! Sorry for the cliffhanger guys but it had to be done! Otherwise you wouldn't come back for more! Please read and review!**


	3. Chapter 3 - Breaking Storm

**Sooo I left you guys on a cliff-hanger last time! #noregrets**

 **Here's the next chapter, partly from Stormkit's POV. Read and revview my lovelies!**

Without waiting to be invited in, Pinefrost shoved his way into Splashstar's den. "We need to talk," he demanded. Splashstar, eating his fresh kill, looked up in startled bewilderment.

"About what?" he meowed, looking confused.

"About the prophecy. And…" Pinefrost glanced over his shoulder. "I think it's Skyleap's kit."

Splashstar's eyes widened. Pinefrost began to note the reasons: Juniperberry's prophecy the same night Stormkit was born; the fluffy gray pelt with the thick gray clouds; and the repetition of 'storm'.

"I think you may be right," Splashstar said slowly, sitting up in his nest. "But how do we convince Skyleap and Talonslash that their kit is destined to be a medicine cat?"

"Moreover," Pinefrost muttered, a new dread gripping his heart, "how do we convince Stormkit to be my apprentice?"

* * *

Stormkit and Petalkit tumbled and play-fought in the clearing. Petalkit latched her teeth in Stormkit's tail, sending a jolt of pain up it.

"Ow!" he cried, jerking it free. "That's mean! No teeth—Father said so!"

"Well, Father isn't here," Petalkit teased, going down into a playful crouch. She wagged her hindquarters in the air. "Come on, don't be such a thorn in a bush!"

 _I'll show you who's a thorn in a bush!_ Stormkit leapt on his sister, who yowled in surprise, and they tumbled away. Petalkit kicked him off with a well-placed blow from strong hind legs. Stormkit tumbled away, yelping, until he crashed into some cat's paws.

 _Mouse-dung!_ He rolled to his belly and leapt up. It was—oh, StarClan, what was his name?—the big ginger, black, and white tom with the whitening face and clear blue eyes gazed down at him.

"Be careful, little kits," he rumbled, touching his nose to Stormkit's head. "Our Clan needs you two to grow up big and strong."

Stormkit tipped his head. When the old cat had said that, he had been looking directly at Stormkit, and not even glancing at Petalkit.

 _Speak of my sister…_

His attention diverted, Stormkit turned to see Petalkit creeping up on him. She froze in mid step. Growling playfully, Stormkit spun and leapt on his sister, who yelped and wrestled with him.

"Stormkit, come here please."

Stormkit paused and looked up, Petalkit rolling away and chasing her tail. Skyleap and Talonslash were standing a few pawsteps away with—what was his name? Oh, yes— _Splashstar_ and the black and white and ginger tom from before. His heart began to pound. _Am I in trouble?_

Nervously, he padded over. "Y-Yes, Mother?"

"There's something we have to talk to you about, Stormkit." It was Splashstar who replied. "You aren't in trouble, little one—but would you please come with us to my den?"

Stormkit nodded anxiously, none of his worries soothed. Nervously, glancing back at Petalkit, who had stopped tumbling around to watch her brother, he scampered after Splashstar the others.

Splashstar's den was a cool place in the middle of the big rock that stood in the center of the clearing. His nest rested at the back, with a lichen curtain across the front. His nose wrinkled and he sneezed as the low, fuzzy branches tickled his face.

Splashstar sat down with the multicolored tom, while Stormkit's mother and father sat beside him reassuringly. Stormkit glanced around at the den. _If I wasn't so scared, this would be awesome! How many other kits get to go into the leader's den?_

"Stormkit, you aren't in trouble," Splashstar repeated. "You haven't done anything, and we aren't upset with you—in fact, quite the opposite." He purred.

Stormkit glanced up at Talonslash. His eyes were burning with an intensity that Stormkit didn't recognize, but when he looked down at his son, his gaze softened and he touched the gray kit's nose with his ear.

"Wh-What is it?" Stormkit stammered. Then it was the colorful tom—StarClan, he was bad with names—that spoke, in a rusty voice like the elders used.

"Stormkit, as you know, I'm the medicine cat," he rumbled. "I share tongues with StarClan in my dreams, and they tell me things. Things that I need to know to help cats, things that I need to know to keep HuntClan safe, or things that will help keep HuntClan the strongest Clan in the forest." He dipped his head. "Now, I'm sure you and your sister have noticed—I'm not the youngest starling to fall out of the nest. I'm getting old—most cats my age would have retired by now. But in order for me to retire, I have to have a successor. And my successor is chosen by StarClan—it takes a very special cat to be a medicine cat. And _you_ , Stormkit, have been chosen by StarClan to be my successor."

It took a moment for the big tom's words to sink in. When they finally did, his eyes widened and his mouth fell open. " _Me?_ " Stormkit squeaked.

"Yes you!" Skyleap nuzzled her kit so hard it almost pushed him off his paws. "My beautiful son, growing up to help the Clan!" Her purring was so loud in Stormkit's ears it almost drowned out what Splashstar was saying next.

"…need to help Pinefrost in his den before you become an apprentice," he was meowing. "A good medicine cat needs to know every herb and what they do."

"Wait!" Stormkit exclaimed, leaping to his paws (when had he sat down?). "Shouldn't you ask me what I _want_ instead of just what—what _he_ says I need to do?" He jerked his tail angrily at Pinefrost (yes, that was his name!).

"Stormkit, this is a great honor," Talonslash meowed, sounding startled. "It's not every cat that gets chosen to serve their Clan in such a way."

"But—But I don't _want_ to be a stinky medicine cat!" he cried, staring wildly at his father, and then his mother. They both looked somewhat concerned—as if they had figured he would be opposed to the idea, but had hoped for the best. "I wanna hunt! I wanna learn to fight and go on patrol and be a _real_ warrior!"

"Stormkit, being a medicine cat is a very important job," Pinefrost said, taken aback. "Without a medicine cat, there would be no cat to heal the warriors' wounds, or cure them when they're sick, or help bring new kits into the world."

"Then have some other cat do it!" he insisted desperately. "I wanna be in the woods and hunt things and…" _I don't wanna smell like musty leaves and be trapped in camp my whole life!_ Why wasn't his mother saying anything? Why wasn't his father coming to his aid? Did they _want_ him to do this! Panic began to well in his chest.

"Please calm down," Splashstar soothed. "Let's talk about this."

"No!" Stormkit wailed, feeling dismayed. "I wanna be a real warrior!" Without waiting for a response or thinking about what he was doing, Stormkit spun around and raced out of the den, his heart throbbing and his legs shaking.

 _I don't wanna be a medicine cat! I wanna be a warrior!_

 **Poor Stormkit!**

 **Question of the day: What would you do if you were in Stormkit's position? Pinefrost's? Skyleap and Talonslash's?**


	4. Chapter 4 - Absentmindedly

**Here's the next chapter my lovelies! Please read and review, it means a lot to me! Plus-more reviews make more chapters come faster!**

"From this moment forward, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Petalpaw." Splashstar glanced around at the assembled Clan. "Your mentor will be Firefall."

The big ginger tom stepped forward and touched his nose to the black and white she-cat's head. She was shaking so much it was visible. Stormkit shuffled his paws in the dirt, his heart racing.

It was three full moons after his conversation with Pinefrost and Splashstar. The harsh chill of leafbare was beginning to penetrate the dusty leaf-fall air. It would snow before too long.

His mother had tried to speak to Stormkit on numerous occasions to get him to accept his destiny of being a medicine cat, but he was keen on being a real warrior.

 _Medicine cats just hide in camp all day and sniff around dusty leaves and they don't hunt or fight,_ Stormkit thought yet again. _I'd rather be out in the woods like a real warrior._

Splashstar turned and fixed his bright green eyes on Stormkit. His expression was unreadable.

"I call down from StarClan to watch over this young apprentice as he trains to learn your ways," Splashstar meowed, "and show him the way his paws should travel on the path of life."

Stormkit almost bristled. He knew that Splashstar was talking about his refusal to be a medicine cat. But Splashstar continued.

"Stormkit, from this moment until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Stormpaw. Your mentor…"

 _Please not Pinefrost, please not Pinefrost,_ please _not Pinefrost_ …

"…will be Flywing."

 _Who the heck is Flywing?_ Stormpaw spun around. A white and gray she-cat was coming towards him, with long fur and a plumy tail. Her eyes were the brightest, most startling blue Stormpaw had ever seen. As she stepped forward and bent to touch noses with her apprentice, Stormpaw stretched up to meet her and their muzzles collided with a little more force than he had intended. He flinched.

"It's okay," Flywing murmured reassuringly. "I was excited on my first day as an apprentice too."

"Stormpaw! Petalpaw! Stormpaw! Petalpaw!" The cry rose up from the assembled Clan, and Splashstar had to wave his tail for silence.

"Now, just as the naming of new apprentices keeps the Clan strong, so does the naming of new warriors. Whiskerpaw, Foxpaw, come forward, please."

There was a startled moment of silence, and then the two littermates stepped up to the base of the rock. They obviously hadn't expected this—Whiskerpaw's snow white feet were muddy from his recent hunting patrol, and Foxpaw's fur was messy. One of his ears was turned in on itself. Dustdapple and Applebranch, the two toms' mentors, looked about to burst with pride.

Stormpaw tipped his head. He had stopped paying attention to the two soon-to-be warriors, and was watching Pinefrost. The aging medicine cat was watching him with a sad look in his bright eyes, and as their eyes met, Pinefrost rose stiffly to his paws and limped back into his den.

A pang of despair gripped Stormpaw's heart. Ever since he had run out of Splashstar's den all those sunrises ago, Pinefrost had seemed to age by the day. More and more guilt dug into Stormpaw's body like sharp claws—what _would_ happen to HuntClan if Pinefrost died without an apprentice?

Then he shook himself. He would just have to find another cat, that's all.

"Whiskerfur! Foxtail! Whiskerfur! Foxtail!"

Stormpaw was jerked out of his reverie by the Clan cheering the new warriors' names. Joining in, he managed to push Pinefrost out of his mind.

* * *

That night, after his tour of the territory with Flywing, Petalpaw, and Firefall—on which they saw the other two Clans' territories (he couldn't remember what they were called, though)—he padded wearily towards the nursery, a thrush in his jaws.

"Wait!" Petalpaw stopped, her eyes shining. She set down her mouse to speak. "We can sleep in the apprentices' den now!"

A new joy trilled through Stormpaw as he realized she was right. Purring, they changed course and headed for the low-growing willow tree, underneath which was the apprentices' den. When they entered the cool, dark den, they found Badgerpaw already in there, dozing. He raised his head sleepily when they entered.

"Hey guys," he purred. "We remade Foxtail and Whiskerfur's old nests for you two, towards the back."

Waving their tails in appreciation, the two newest apprentices headed for the back of the den, picking their way over the other nests. Stormpaw found one freshly lined with crow feathers, and smelled faintly of Foxtail. Settling down, he put the thrush down and stared at it.

"Isn't it great? We're apprentices now!" Petalpaw purred, her musical mew barely registering in Stormpaw's distracted mind.

"Yeah, of course," Stormpaw murmured. _What if StarClan hates me for not being a medicine cat?_

"Don't be such a bump on a frog," Petalpaw teased. "Tomorrow we're going to learn how to hunt!"

He should have been happy. This was what he wanted, right?

Then why did he feel so empty?

* * *

Pinefrost sighed, dropping his head where he sat in Splashstar's den. "How am I ever going to find an apprentice?" he rasped, feeling his age more than ever.

"Stormpaw just has to come to realize his destiny in his own time," Splashstar soothed. "Calm down, old friend. StarClan picked Stormpaw for a reason, and they're never incorrect."

Pinefrost couldn't find the energy to respond. His days were drawing to a close, and now, with the onset of leafbare looming ever closer, he was desperate to find another pair of paws to assist him.

"Pinefrost, stay with me."

The elderly cat raised his head. Splashstar looked at him expectantly—he had obviously begun speaking without Pinefrost's attention.

"Sorry, Splashstar, what was that?"

The leader sighed. "I said, maybe we should have Flywing let him help you sometimes. Like we have the apprentices take care of the elders, Stormpaw can help you with your herbs."

Pinefrost nodded silently, more instinctual than soothed. "What if he resents it?" he fretted. "What if he decides more firmly than ever that he doesn't want to be a medicine cat after working with me?"

Splashstar sighed again. "What is it with medicine cats and finding the worst in everything? You know, your mentor Waterleaf once found a dead butterfly and stirred the whole camp into a panic by insisting it was an omen that we would get crushed by MoonClan."

Pinefrost straightened his back. "Waterleaf probably knew what he was talking about," he stated firmly, his tail twitching.

"Oh, I'm not saying he didn't." Splashstar's gaze sparkled mischievously. "We were crushed by MoonClan that moon at the Gathering, when they all fell down the slope in that mudslide and smothered us all."

Despite himself, Pinefrost purred.

* * *

The next morning, Stormpaw woke up after a fitful night of sleep to Flywing poking her head into the den. Petalpaw's nest was empty, as were the other three. His heart began to pound and he leapt to his paws.

"Did I oversleep? I'm so sorry!" he cried, his exhaustion vanishing.

"You had a big day yesterday, I can imagine you were tired," she soothed, flicking her plumy cream tail. "Come on, your sister is already up and waiting for you to begin training." She vanished out of the den with the willow whispering behind her.

 _My first day as an apprentice and I'm already messing it up!_ After a hurried washing, he bounded from the apprentice's den to find Flywing and Firefall speaking. As he watched, a ginger tom— _Sunfur_ , it was Sunfur—approached them and spoke softly. Flywing turned to glance at Stormpaw as he trotted up.

"It seems that Splashstar wants to speak with me," she said apologetically. "Firefall agreed to take you out with Petalpaw and teach you some basic hunting techniques."

Stormpaw hesitated. Why would Splashstar want to speak with his mentor? Knowing what he and his parents thought about Stormpaw, it couldn't be good. Scowling, he scuffed the dirt with a wide paw.

"Sure," he mumbled.

"I won't be long," Flywing promised gently, touching Stormpaw's head with her nose before trotting away after Sunfur. Firefall came up to Stormpaw.

"Why don't you grab a bite to eat—a hunting patrol just came back," he said briskly. "Then you and Petalpaw meet me at the entrance to the camp and we'll go on to the training hollow."

 _What in StarClan could Splashstar be saying to Flywing?_ Stormpaw mused.

"Are you listening, Stormpaw?" Firefall asked.

"Yes," he said distractedly, wandering away, all the while still thinking about Splashstar.

Before he knew it, he was following Petalpaw and Firefall out through the entrance to the camp. The trees and bushes were bright with many oranges, browns, reds, golds, and yellows. It would soon be leaf-bare, the warriors said, with the white stuff that fell from the sky—Stormpaw couldn't remember what it was called—that made all the prey hide and made all the plants hard like rocks and the rocks cold like water.

Stormpaw brushed past a plant and stopped as its sharp scent filled his nose. It had fuzzy leaves with rounded edges, and smelled sharp like blood but sweet like honey. Bending closer, he flicked his tongue out and tasted the plant. The fuzz stuck to his tongue like the fur of a vole.

"Stormpaw!"

He jerked his head up. Firefall had stopped a few fox-lengths ahead and was looking back, Petalpaw at his side.

"What's this plant?" he asked before he could stop himself. Firefall shrugged, obviously unconcerned.

"I don't know; plants are Pinefrost's specialty. Come on, we came out here to learn to hunt," he dismissed, twitching his tail in an invitation for Stormpaw to follow.

Suddenly feeling sheepish, Stormpaw dashed after him. That was right, he wasn't a smelly medicine cat, he was a _real_ warrior, destined for greatness, and today he would learn to hunt and fight like any other cat.

* * *

They trained, with Firefall showing them how to hunt and stalk, until sunhigh. Then Flywing joined them just as Stormpaw pounced on another leaf that tried to skitter away in the wind.

"It looks like Firefall taught you well," she purred appreciatively. "How about we try out those techniques with some real practice in the field? See which apprentice can catch the most prey?"

Petalpaw looked excitedly at Stormpaw.

 _I'll beat you!_ he thought determinedly. _And then that'll show Splashstar and Pinefrost that I'm meant to be a_ real _warrior!_

* * *

Flywing stopped just off of one of the paths leading through the forest. A faint flowery scent tickled Stormpaw's nose, but he ignored it.

"There's no shame in not catching anything," Flywing said. "Let's try here; what can you scent?"

Stormpaw opened his mouth. For a moment, all he could smell was that flowery aroma, but he pushed it away and tried harder. A musty scent filled his nose.

"Mouse!" he whispered. Flywing nodded and stepped back to give him room.

Stormpaw focused on it until he heard a tiny shuffling noise to his left. Turning his head, he saw a tiny body shifting a leaf; a pink nose shuffled into view, followed by a wide brown body. It was a fat mouse, snuffling for nuts and not paying attention to the cats.

Stormpaw dropped into a hunting crouch. _Paws spaced evenly, keep your tail still, make sure the prey is upwind… There's that plant!_

He suddenly froze. Behind the mouse, he had caught sight of the fuzzy green leaves again. His tail tip twitched at his lack of concentration; a leaf rustled. The mouse jerked his head up, saw him, and, with a terrified squeak, sped off.

 _No! Mouse-dung!_ Stormpaw launched himself after the mouse, pounding across the ground. He slammed a paw down on the mouse's tail, but it jerked it free and fled into the leaf litter.

Thoroughly embarrassed, Stormpaw risked a glance at his mentor. Flywing's expression was unreadable.

"Everyone misses a catch sometimes," she purred. "But you need to keep your focus while hunting, or that will happen."

Stormpaw nodded. The overpowering scent of the fuzzy plant filled his nose. As Flywing walked away, beckoning for Stormpaw to follow, he cast one last look back at the plant. Then he shook his head and darted after Flywing.

 _I need to stop focusing on stinky plants!_


	5. Chapter 5 - Things Remembered

By the time they returned to camp, Flywing carried a vole and a shrew. Petalpaw had caught two mice and a thrush, and Firefall had a squirrel. Stormpaw was empty-pawed, at the back of the patrol, his tail dragging and head bowed.

"Chin up," Flywing said after depositing her catch on the fresh-kill pile. "Not every apprentice catches things on their first day. Why don't you take some of this to the elders and Pinefrost?"

At the mention of Pinefrost, Stormpaw immediately thought of the fuzzy plant, and then was startled at himself. How did he, with his awful memory, recall the plant in such clarity? He could recall the exact smell and taste of the fuzzy plant, and exactly where it grew.

"Stormpaw!"

Startled, he jumped slightly and looked up at his mentor. She flicked an ear.

"Honestly, you can't even keep your mind in camp," she half-teased. "Take some prey to the elders and Pinefrost, and then you can rest for the remainder of the day."

He nodded, snatching up the fat squirrel and the thrush. Without acknowledging two of the other apprentices as they ran up to Petalpaw, demanding to know how well they did today, he plodded away.

With a muffled mew, Stormpaw pushed into the elders' den. The two elders— _StarClan, I can remember a stupid plant but I can't remember half of my Clan_ —were dozing in their nest, telling stories to…to… As he turned to face Stormpaw, Jaypaw's name suddenly flashed into his head.

"Come to listen, Stormpaw?" he asked. "Yulethorn is telling the story about when Huntstar, Firestar, and Moonstar made the Clans!"

"No thanks," Stormpaw mumbled, setting down the squirrel in front of Yulethorn and— _what's her name_ — _Flowerear_. "I have to take this to Pinefrost."

Flowerear tipped her head at Stormpaw, giving him a strange look. She began to say something, but then stopped herself and bent to sniff at the squirrel. "Thank you, Stormpaw, it looks delicious," she murmured.

With a sigh, Stormpaw turned and walked out.

Pinefrost was tapping at the pool in his den when Stormpaw entered. He dropped the thrush next to the old cat's nest and muttered, "Here."

Pinefrost turned. His eyes sparkled. "Ah, Stormpaw. While you're here, would you help me?"

 _Ugh_. "Sure," he sighed. "With what?"

Pinefrost gestured with his tail toward the herb stores. "Can you help me sort through the herbs that are old or dry? Take out the useless leaves and pile them up over here, please."

Stormpaw padded over to the leaves and began pawing through them, thoroughly upset. His first day of training wasn't going at all like he had expected.

* * *

Four days later, and he still hadn't caught any prey. While the rest of the apprentices had to take care of the elders, Stormpaw had to help Pinefrost and his stupid plants. Flywing seemed to be losing faith in her apprentice, as he kept getting distracted during training, hunting, patrol, even moss-gathering. Once, he had let a shrew escape literally right over his paws when he stopped to sniff a flower.

Angrily, Stormpaw growled and kicked a poppy head. It bounced away, bumping into the paws of a cat who entered the den. Stormpaw glanced up and saw his mother, Skyleap. Her blue eyes were gentle in the dimness of the den.

"Hey, Stormpaw," she mewed gently. "Petalpaw said I could find you in here."

"How much prey did she bring back today?" Stormpaw mumbled crossly, slashing through a dry leaf.

"Don't be so bitter," she soothed. She sat down beside the pool, dabbing a paw into it. Ripples spread across the water. "Where's Pinefrost?"

"Out gathering more tansy," Stormpaw muttered.

Skyleap was quiet for a moment before murmuring, "Dustdapple wrenched her shoulder while hunting today. Do you know what would help her? She sent me to fetch some herbs."

Not really paying attention, Stormpaw pushed some tansy towards his mother, and then knocked a couple of poppy seeds out of the head he had abused. "No more than two," he sighed, "and chew up the leaves." As he turned away to begin sorting through the watermint, he suddenly froze. _Did I…just…?_

Skyleap had paused. "Stormpaw, are you alright?"

Shaking his head hard, paws suddenly shaky, he mewed, "Yes, I'm okay." He padded to the pool and lapped up a few drops.

"Try to relax," she soothed, coming over and licking the top of his head gently. "It will be okay." Then she turned and padded away. Stormpaw couldn't shake his anxiety.

 _I can't remember the cats in my own Clan, I can't remember how to hunt a rabbit compared to a mouse, I can't even remember which nest is mine in the apprentices' den half the time! How did I know what to get Dustdapple?_

* * *

Splashstar stopped Skyleap as she padded away with the leaves and the poppy seeds. "I thought Pinefrost was out gathering tansy with Mallowwhisker," he asked. "Are they back already?"

Skyleap shook her head mutely, flicking her tail at the medicine den. Splashstar let his gaze drift. A sharp sneeze echoed through the camp, and a wide gray paw pushed some dusty, rumpled leaves out into the clearing. Splashstar's eyes widened.

Flywing approached him, obviously not seeing Skyleap as the other queen padded past her and into the warriors' den. "Splashstar, can we talk?"

The blue and white tomcat didn't answer immediately. Stormpaw poked his head out, sniffed at a poppy head he had discarded, then snatched it up in his jaws and disappeared back into the den.

"Splashstar?" Flywing said again.

The leader shook himself and turned to the creamy she-cat. "Yes, Flywing?"

She glanced around to see if any cat was overhearing. The elders were sunning themselves, all the other apprentices were out with their mentors, most warriors were either sleeping or hunting, and Tuftyears was rolling in the dust in the sunlight at the edge of camp.

"I feel like you made a mistake trusting me with an apprentice," she admitted.

"What do you mean?" he asked, startled.

"I mean…" She shuffled her paws in the dirt. "Stormpaw…is very attentive. And I can tell he's trying really hard. But…he hasn't caught a single piece of prey. He gets distracted more easily than the rest of the apprentices put together. He gets more upset and counts his losses rather than his wins when he misses a catch. Jaypaw overpowered him in battle training yesterday, and Jaypaw's half his size."

Splashstar dipped his head. Should he tell her about Pinefrost's prophecy?

The sound of pawsteps made him raise his head. Tuftyears had come over, dust covering his pelt unevenly—although, Splashstar noted absently, with his dust-colored pelt, it was hard to tell whether it was dirt or shadows.

"You're a fine mentor," Tuftyears murmured to his mate, pressing against her side lovingly and licking her cheek. "Stormpaw…is a special cat." He threw a meaningful glance at Splashstar with clear amber eyes. Splashstar nodded.

"Come to my den, Flywing," he murmured. "There's something I have to tell you about Stormpaw."

* * *

That night, Stormpaw dreamed.

He woke up standing on the edge of a rocky cave. The half-moon was shining high over him, with every star in Silverpelt gleaming like tiny suns. Unsure where he was, Stormpaw turned around.

Inside the cave, something glittered. Cautiously padding forward, Stormpaw stopped at the edge of a round pool of water. It sparkled and shone like all the moonlight in the world was trapped inside. He couldn't see the bottom. Water poured out of the rock in a gentle, silent waterfall, cascading into the pool below with a soft bubbling sound.

"Greetings, Stormpaw."

Startled, he turned. A big black and white she-cat was standing there, tall with narrow shoulders, a long tail, unmarked ears, and bright blue eyes. She was sparkling like she had descended from starshine.

"Who are you?" he asked, flattening his ears. "Where am I?"

"My name is Juniperberry," she said, dipping her head. "I am Pinefrost's sister." She sat down. "And this is the Starpool."

 _Starpool, Starpool, Starpool…where have I heard that name before?_

"You have a very long path ahead of you, Stormpaw," she murmured. "My brother has had his eye on you for a long time."

 _Your—? Oh, oh, Pinefrost_. Stormpaw stared down at the starry pool. "What do you mean, I have a long path?"

"Let me put it this way." Juniperberry rose and stepped up to Stormpaw's side. "Do you see them?"

For a long moment, Stormpaw didn't know what she meant, and then he saw them. On the other side of the pool, ranks of cats began to fade into view. Stormpaw suddenly felt very small. Some of the cats had bright, shining fur and outlines like Juniperberry. Some were so faded that Stormpaw could see through their bodies to the rock behind them.

"Who are they?" Stormpaw whispered. Fear settled into his pelt. Facing all of these strange cats, in this strange place, he felt smaller than a beetle.

Juniperberry didn't answer. Instead, a black and ginger mottled tom stepped forward towards Stormpaw. His eyes were two different colors—one green and one blue. He dipped his head.

"My name is Sunspirit," he murmured. "My own mother was scared of me from the moment I opened my eyes. No other cat in my Clan ever had eyes like mine. No cat would mentor me. I fled from my camp, desperate to find a place to belong. I had a dream from a cat that came long before me that told me I must return, for I was to become the most important cat in my Clan. Many seasons ago, Stormpaw, I was FireClan's medicine cat."

Stormpaw suddenly remembered FireClan, those fierce, swift cats who lived on the grassy moor full of shrubs. Flywing had pointed them out on their first day.

Sunspirit stepped back, and a tiny she-cat took his place. She was about Stormpaw's size, with a snow-white pelt and bright blue eyes. She was slightly more faded than Sunspirit, the edges of her fur blurring into the rock.

"My name is Bouncefeather," she mewed. "I was the smallest cat to be born to my Clan. I was the size of a mouse when I was kitted, and my mother didn't think I would survive. I never grew up like my littermates did. In battle, I was almost crushed by a warrior three times my size. My mentor tried her hardest, but there was nothing she could do. I was a poor hunter, a poor fighter. Then my leader had a sign that showed him what my real destiny was—for although my body was small, my spirit was large. Many, many moon before Sunspirit was kitted, I was WaveClan's medicine cat."

 _Oh, yes._ WaveClan lived on an island, surrounded by the river that pooled into the lake. Stormpaw remembered standing at the top of the ridge, the wind piercing through his fur, as he gazed down into their territory, damp with rain.

By that time, Bouncefeather had stepped away and yet another tom took her place. He was a big gray tom with wide paws and golden eyes.

"I am Aspenfur," he rumbled, his voice deep and intimidating. Stormpaw began to shrink away, but Juniperberry was there, pressing reassuringly against him.

"I was like you, Stormpaw," he meowed. "I had my heart set on becoming a warrior like my sisters, Butterflyheart and Oaktail. However, that was not the destiny StarClan had laid out for me. I was destined to succeed Twistleap."

A long, lean tabby cat stepped up to his side. Stormpaw knew without knowing that this was Twistleap.

"I had a sign of a falling tree, crashing down onto a garden of daisies," Twistleap murmured. "However, when I went to check the daisies, not a single one was crushed. Instead, the water that had pooled in a cavity in the tree had spilt to water the flowers. I took the sign of the falling aspen as clarification that Aspenfur—then, he was Aspenpaw—was to be my apprentice."

"At the same time as Sunspirit," Aspenfur meowed, "I was HuntClan's medicine cat."

As if that was a cue, the assembled spirit cats all began speaking at once. They started moving, weaving in between one another, sometimes dipping to lap at the pool—the _Starpool_ —or lay down to sleep, their paws touching the water. They moved past, around, _through_ Stormpaw, sending shivers up his spine. He became fearful.

"Juniperberry?" he whispered, turning to look for her. But she was gone. _No! Where did she go?_ "Juniperberry!" he cried, running blindly.

"Stormpaw."

"Juniperberry!" Stormpaw wailed, running past Sunspirit. The tom didn't seem to see him.

"Stormpaw!"

He jerked awake. Flywing was standing over him, her eyes wide and concerned.

"You were thrashing about in your sleep, and crying out for some cat," she meowed. "Are you okay?"

He leapt to his paws. "I have to speak to Splashstar," he gasped. "Please, Flywing. It's important."

"He's out on the dawn patrol," she stammered. "Stormpaw, what is it?"

"What about Pinefrost?" _I have to talk to some cat before I forget my dream! Curse my memory, I can't forget this!_

"I—I think he's still asleep. Stormpaw, what—?"

With an apologetic mew, Stormpaw ducked past her, bolting from the den. Wisps of dawn light filtered into the camp as cats milled about sleepily. But Stormpaw didn't pause to take it in. Spinning on one paw, he ran across the camp and threw himself into the medicine den.

"Pinefrost, I'm sorry!" was what burst from his throat. The elderly cat, in the middle of stretching, looked up in bewilderment.

"Sorry for what, young'un?" he meowed.

Shaking, Stormpaw sat down and began bursting out all the details about his dream. When he was done, he dropped his head, scared of what Pinefrost would say. The heartbeats dragged out as Pinefrost looked at him silently.

"You saw Juniperberry?" he murmured after what felt like an eternity. "Is she well?"

Stormpaw looked up. _Why is that what he focuses on?_ "Sh-She seemed to be," he replied.

"And Alderfur was there," he murmured, sitting with his back arched. "Waterleaf must be watching over me." With a sigh, he raised his head. "Tell me again, who all was there?"

"Sunspirit," Stormpaw said instantly. "He was a big ginger tom with eyes that shine like sunlight. And Bouncefeather—she was really small, I thought she was an apprentice at first. Then there was Alderfur—he was _huge_ , especially compared to Bouncefeather. Then Twistleap, who was really skinny and tall."

He nodded. "And—you can remember every cat?"

With a start, Stormpaw realized that he was right. His heart began to pound again.

"Wh…Why?" he whispered. "It took me three moons to remember my own father's name. I can't even remember which nest in the apprentices' den is mine. Why…can I suddenly remember things?"

"Because you have a gift, Stormpaw," Pinefrost murmured. His eyes were the brightest Stormpaw had ever seen them. He looked like a young cat again. For a second, Stormpaw saw a flash of the old, youthful cat he must have been once. "You have a gift that many cats don't have."

Stormpaw's gaze unfocused. He suddenly heard words in his head—words murmured in Juniperberry's soft, warm meow. Her sweet scent wreathed around him. _"Some storms are hard to forget."_

He took a deep breath as a sudden realization came to him. Dipping his head in acceptance, he murmured, "I'm ready to become your apprentice, Pinefrost."

 **Question of the day: How do you think Flywing took the news of Stormpaw's prophecy? How did Tuftyears know?**

 **Read and Review, _please!_**


	6. Chapter 6 - Old Life, New Beginning

Pinefrost had rushed to speak to Splashstar as soon as he returned to camp with the dawn patrol, leaving Stormpaw alone in the medicine den. _What have I done?_ He padded to the pool and looked down. His fluffy gray face, with his bright leaf-green eyes, stared back at him. _What about my dream of being a warrior? Is that just…gone?_

A rustle behind him sounded, and he mewed, "Did you already talk to Splashstar?"

"I haven't," Flywing replied. Stormpaw spun. _I didn't even think of Flywing!_

"F-Flywing," he stammered, "I'm so sorry—"

"It's okay, Stormpaw." She sat down, wrapping her tail over her paws. "I know you're going to be Pinefrost's apprentice."

He padded over to her and touched her nose with his. He hoped she couldn't feel him shaking. "It's not you," he whispered. "You were the best mentor any cat could ask for. You were so patient, and so kind…" He could have gone on, but she cut him off.

"It's not your fault, you know." Her eyes were clear.

 _What's not?_ Before he could voice the question, she continued.

"Splashstar told me about your prophecy. I went to him to ask if he could give you a new mentor, because I felt like I failed," she admitted. "But once he told me that StarClan had picked you out to be a medicine cat, I realized it would just take time for you to realize that." Her eyes sparkled. "Besides, I wouldn't have been your mentor for long anyway."

"What do you mean?" he asked, startled. "Splashstar wouldn't have really given me to another cat!"

"Only temporarily." She purred. "Stormpaw, I'm expecting kits!"

It took him a moment to register what she was saying, but when it did, joy rose in his heart. Despite only being her apprentice for a pawful of short days, he felt close to her in a way that he only felt about cats like Petalpaw.

"That's so great, Flywing!" he exclaimed. "How do you know?"

"Sometimes, a cat just knows," she mewed, winking at him. "Well, that and Pinefrost told me yesterday."

"Who's the father?"

"Tuftyears," she replied. "Don't tell him though—I want to tell him myself."

Stormpaw purred loudly, brushing cheeks with Flywing, when another cat entered the dim den. Talonslash's wide shoulders almost blocked out the sunlight as he squinted in the darkness.

"I'll let you go," Flywing murmured, rising to her paws. As she left, she dipped her head to Talonslash, who nodded back kindly.

"Don't overexert yourself!" Stormpaw called before he could think. Flywing waved her tail to show she had heard as the lichen swept back into place behind her.

"So I hear you're going to be Pinefrost's apprentice," Talonslash rumbled. His gaze was unreadable. Stormpaw nodded.

"I am."

"What happened to your dream of being a warrior?" his father asked. He didn't sound bitter—rather, genuinely curious.

Stormpaw took a deep breath. _I know Father really wanted me to be a warrior. So did I. But…StarClan chose me._ "I realized where StarClan really wanted my paws," he finally said. "I know…it's not the destiny you wanted for me. But…you still have Petalpaw," he continued hopefully.

Talonslash gazed down at his son with loving amber eyes. "Well, who am I to go against the will of StarClan?" he meowed, touching his son's head with his muzzle. "If they say my son is to be the greatest medicine cat that HuntClan's ever seen, I'm not going to stand in the way." His eyes glittered mischievously. "Now—come on, we have a ceremony to prepare you for."

"Let all cats old enough to capture their own prey gather here around the Speaking Rock for a Clan meeting!"

Skyleap nuzzled her son as Splashstar's call rang around the camp. "Are you sure?" she asked for what Stormpaw was sure was the hundredth time.

"Yes, Mother," he murmured. Doubt was creeping into his heart as the ceremony was really about to commence. _Was_ he sure that he wanted to give up the life of a warrior—the life he had longed for since he had opened his eyes—to wade through plants and treat infected scratches all day?

 _Too late to change my mind now_ , he thought as Splashstar beckoned him forward with his tail. None of his nervousness from his first ceremony was present—it was all suffocated by the crushing anxiety that he was making the wrong decision.

"StarClan"—It was Pinefrost who spoke—"you have called forward generations upon generations of medicine cats to keep the three Clans strong and healthy. Now, it's time for another cat to follow in past pawsteps." His deep gaze focused on Stormpaw. He had never seen such intensity, and resisted the urge to flinch away. "Stormpaw. Do you promise to live between Clan boundaries, helping any cat who requires it, despite Clan loyalties?"

His heart throbbed. His throat seemed tight. _What if I'm making a mistake? What if this is wrong? What if StarClan is wrong?_

"Yes, I do," he whispered, then louder. "I do."

 _Who said that? I can't have. I can barely breathe…_

"Then you will, from this moment forward, train as a medicine cat apprentice until you earn your full name." Pinefrost touched Stormpaw's head with his muzzle, and Stormpaw licked his shoulder.

As the loud cry of his name went up from the Clan, Petalpaw pushed through the crowd and stood in front of Stormpaw, dismayed.

"You didn't tell me!" she wailed. Her white pelt glowed in the sunhigh sun. Stormpaw's heart twisted. _StarClan help me, I_ didn't _tell the other apprentices._

As if on cue, Badgerpaw, Aspenpaw, and Jaypaw came forward too. The rest of the Clan began to disperse as Tuftyears began giving out afternoon orders.

"You never said anything to any of us," Aspenpaw whispered, her eyes big and troubled. "Why?"

"All the interesting stuff happens while I'm on patrol," Badgerpaw grumbled.

"Is it because I beat you in training the other day?" Jaypaw cried. "I'm sorry!"

Stormpaw hesitated, ears flat, unsure what to say. He turned to his sister first. "Petalpaw…"

"I don't wanna hear your excuses!" she cried, flattening her ears. "We always talked about becoming warriors together! We always talked about our nests in the warriors' den being together, being leader and deputy together! Did that mean _nothing_ to you?"

"Petalpaw, it _does!_ " he insisted. "Please listen, I couldn't—"

"No!" she hissed, baring her teeth. Her eyes swam with pain. "Don't talk to me! You told me you cared about _our dreams_ , and how brothers and sisters always have to stick together! And then you go and do _this?_ " Her fur stood up on end. "Stay away from me!"

"Petalpaw!" Stormpaw cried, taking a step after her. She turned and ran away from him, past Firefall and out the thorn tunnel. With a start, Firefall glanced at Stormpaw and then ran out after her. Skyleap, who had come up to congratulate her son, hesitated, glancing between Stormpaw and the thorn tunnel. After a moment's hesitation, she bounded after her daughter.

"Why didn't you talk to us?" Aspenpaw asked again, stepping closer, between him and the thorn tunnel. Her beautiful blue eyes were confused.

"I…didn't…" Stormpaw stammered.

"Stormpaw!"

All four apprentices spun around. Pinefrost was standing at the entrance to his— _it's mine now too_ —den, waving his tail.

"Come on, you've already got a late start on your training," he called. "Let's get started learning herbs now—don't forget, tonight is the half-moon."

Stormpaw gazed desperately at his friends. Badgerpaw looked hurt beyond words. Jaypaw had a guilty flicker in his eyes. And Aspenpaw— _oh, Aspenpaw._

"Stormpaw!" Pinefrost meowed again.

"I-I'm sorry," he whispered. "I have to go." Trying to ignore their hurt faces, he turned and bounded off, toward the dark den and his new life.

 **Sorry this was another short chapter guys! /**

 **Question of the day: What would YOU do if you were Petalpaw?**

 **Read and review, even if it's just one word, please**


	7. Chapter 7 - Dreams of Stars and Claws

**Sorry that I haven't updated in quite a few days guys! My laptop was being stupid and had no internet for the longest time. XP Anyway, here's a really really long chapter to make up for it!**

As he pushed inside, he tried to shake the guilt from his pelt. Pinefrost was already pulling pawfuls of herbs from the clefts in the rock.

"It will take your friends and your sister some time to come to terms with the fact that your destiny differs from theirs so drastically," Pinefrost murmured. "Flowerear was the same way with me. I think she thought we would even be mates one day."

Before Stormpaw could ask any questions, Pinefrost pointed with his tail to the first pile of leaves. "You already know this one—this is tansy. What's it used for?"

"To relieve stiffness and help take away pain," Stormpaw replied, head still spinning with everything that had just happened. "What do you mean, Pinefrost—"

"And this." Pinefrost touched the next pile with his forepaw. It was a long, thin stem covered with many tiny leaves. "Do you know?"

Stormpaw shook his head. "Pinefrost, what—"

"Smell it and really get it into your head," Pinefrost instructed. "This is thyme—we use it to treat shock, especially after a battle." With a sigh and realizing Pinefrost didn't want to talk any further, Stormpaw bent and sniffed it. It was sharp and tangy, and made him wrinkle his nose.

For the rest of the day, Stormpaw learned more and more of the herbs—alder bark, willow, catmint, lamb ears (that was the fuzzy plant he had seen when training with Firefall), poppy, juniper—and he was sticking his tongue out to taste a blackberry leaf when Pinefrost returned to the den, having left a few heartbeats earlier, with two shrews.

"Eat up," he said, dropping a shrew in front of Stormpaw. "We have to leave for the Starpool soon."

 _The Starpool._ That shining, starlight-filled water pool that he had seen in his dreams. His heart began to race, and he settled down and gulped up the shrew in a few hasty mouthfuls. It was only then that he realized he hadn't eaten that whole day, with everything that had happened.

"Are you done?" Pinefrost was pushing herbs back into the rock. "Help me sort these out and put them back, and we'll be on our way."

Once all the plants were pushed away, Stormpaw led the way out of the den. The moon was already rising in the sky, and the night chill had settled over the camp. Most cats had retired back to the den. Aspenpaw and Petalpaw were sharing tongues under an overhanging bush, but when she saw Stormpaw, Aspenpaw leapt up and bounded over to meet him. Petalpaw stared after them.

"I haven't seen much of you today!" Aspenpaw said, stopping a few pawsteps away, looking nervous. "Um—I'm sorry for being a mouse-brain earlier."

"I'm sorry for not telling you," Stormpaw murmured, feeling like he was falling into the depths of her blue eyes.

"So…just because you're a medicine cat now," she meowed, "we can still be friends, right?"

"Of course!" Stormpaw felt as though a huge weight was lifted off of him—Aspenpaw didn't hate him! He almost purred, and then caught sight of Petalpaw. His sister turned away with a sharp jerk of her head, rolling to her paws and stalking off with her head and tail held high. His purr died in his throat.

"Don't pay any mind to her," Aspenpaw mewed. "She's just upset because now she's the youngest in the den, and you didn't tell her before you made the decision."

"I didn't have time," Stormpaw mumbled miserably. "I had a dream—and then I went to Pinefrost—it all happened so fast…"

"Do you want me to talk to her?" Aspenpaw asked.

"What's this?" Pinefrost nudged his way past Stormpaw. "Come now, Stormpaw, the moon mustn't get any higher before we leave!"

Stormpaw sighed in exhaustion. "Please," he asked Aspenpaw. She touched her warm nose to his cheek.

"Of course," she breathed. "Be safe." And then she ducked away. Suddenly feeling hot, Stormpaw darted after Pinefrost as he headed out the thorn tunnel.

The forest was dark and bathed in a faint white light from the moon. The air was cold, and the grass underfoot was dry and crackled under his pads. Shivering, Stormpaw hurried to follow Pinefrost as the old cat wove down one of the paths, worn down to bare dirt from seasons of countless pawsteps.

Another cat was sitting on a tall rock, her head tipped up at the sky. Stormpaw had to stop and stare at this magnificent cat. With the moon behind her, a long, narrow body, and a tail wrapped neatly over her paws, she was the picture of grace and solemnity.

Pinefrost drew breath to call out, but the cat's ears twitched and the pretty head turned. As Stormpaw neared, he saw it was a she-cat with white and gray fur and black points. She stood up, her tail waving. Her long shadow fell over the two HuntClan medicine cats.

"Pinefrost," she called down. "Who's that with you?"

"This is my apprentice," he replied. "Come down and say hello."

She bunched her muscles, and Stormpaw couldn't hold in a loud gasp as the cat leapt. She sailed over his head and landed with a barely noticeable sound on the leaf litter. She straightened up and turned—and Stormpaw was further amazed to see that her eyes were clouded blue and sightless.

 _She's blind? How did she make this this far by herself? How did she make that_ jump? Dozens of thoughts raced through Stormpaw's mind, and he itched to ask them.

"Stormpaw, this is Echobreeze of MoonClan," Pinefrost introduced. "Echobreeze, this is my new apprentice as of today."

"Stormpaw," she repeated, in a voice as soft as the whispering of dragonflies. Leaning in, she closed her eyes, and Stormpaw felt her nose brush his cheek as she took in his scent. "A strong name for a strong tom," she murmured. Then she straightened, ears straight up, facing deeper into the woods. Pinefrost followed her gaze.

"Prey?" he asked hopefully.

 _Not that you could catch it in your old age,_ Stormpaw thought before he could stop himself, and let out a breathy snort of laughter at his own joke. Neither cat spared him a look.

"No," she murmured. "I believe it's Fawnstep. But…she has another cat with her."

Stormpaw strained his ears, trying to listen for whatever cat they were hearing. He didn't hear anything for a while until a faint rustling and loud high-pitched meows. After a moment, two more cats appeared in the clearing. One was a light brown tabby, and the smaller she-cat was solid black with amazingly green eyes. Their pelts were thick and glossy, and still kind of wet from the river.

"Looks like we're the last ones here," the tabby purred, touching noses with Echobreeze. "How is the prey running?"

"Can't complain," Echobreeze replied. Pinefrost dipped his head to the she-cat.

"So you have an apprentice now too, Fawnstep?" he greeted her. Stormpaw twitched an ear as Fawnstep turned to him.

"What's your name?" she asked kindly, blinking her bright blue eyes. The tiny black she-cat peeked at him from beside her mentor.

"I'm Stormpaw," he replied. "I just became Pinefrost's apprentice today."

"So did I!" The little black cat leapt forward, landing in front of Stormpaw. She was significantly smaller than him. "I'm Midnightpaw."

 _Midnightpaw? What an odd name. Maybe they just do stuff like that in WaveClan?_ Stormpaw was busy pondering her name and he didn't realize that Pinefrost had turned and begun walking away. Stormpaw hurried after him, Midnightpaw keeping pace easily, even with her significantly shorter legs. Fawnstep brought up the rear, and Echobreeze led the way.

"Pinefrost?" Stormpaw called. The old cat slowed and glanced at his apprentice as they travelled up the ravine.

"Yes?" he asked.

Stormpaw dropped his voice. "Why is Echobreeze leading the way? She's blind," he whispered.

"I have the sharpest nose and ears," Echobreeze called back, not sounding bothered by the question. Stormpaw's pelt burned with embarrassment, and he ducked his head. _I should have guessed that a blind cat can hear better than others…_

"Is this your first trip to the Starpool?" Midnightpaw asked as Pinefrost returned to Echobreeze's side. Stormpaw nodded.

"I've heard so much about the Starpool from every cat in my Clan," she continued chattering. "Apparently it holds all the light of every star in Silverpelt!"

 _If it's anything like my dream,_ Stormpaw thought, _it'll be amazing._

Midnightpaw continued talking in a one-sided conversation as they walked, every mewed word floating in one of Stormpaw's ears and out the other. They traveled up a well-trodden path, their step slowly quickening as the moon rose ever higher. The ravine sloped upwards, and Stormpaw had to bound to keep up with his mentor. Even Midnightpaw stopped talking to focus on their path weaving through the trees.

Eventually, they reached a black rock with a circle carved into it. Without hesitating, Echobreeze plunged into the darkness, followed by Pinefrost, and then Fawnstep. Midnightpaw and Stormpaw glanced at each other.

"After you," he muttered. She looked nervous, but took a deep breath and dove into the crevice. Stormpaw glanced around at the trees and followed.

The rock was cold and damp around him. He followed a tiny trail for a moment, whiskers brushing each side, before it opened up wide. He blinked hard a couple of times, waiting for his eyes to adjust. When they finally did, he couldn't hold in a gasp of amazement.

The Starpool was much larger than it had seemed in his dream. The clear, cold water was shining with moonlight and stars, casting an ethereal light all over the wide cavern. The water bubbled up from underneath the rock, with a tiny waterfall cascading into the pool with a gentle splashing sound.

"Stormpaw, come here," Pinefrost meowed. Stormpaw, still awe-struck, stepped forward. Pinefrost looked up at the hole in the roof of the cave. "StarClan, I call you to look down on this apprentice and keep him in your paws as he learns the ways of the medicine cat, the rites of healing, and help him find the courage he needs to live between Clan boundaries."

Pinefrost rested his muzzle on Stormpaw's head while the other medicine cats meowed his name. Fawnstep performed the same ceremony with Midnightpaw before each cat then settled down beside the pool.

"Take a drink and then lay down with your paws in it," Pinefrost instructed Stormpaw. Midnightpaw dropped down on Stormpaw's other side. Stormpaw lapped a couple mouthfuls, his paws dipping into the cold water. Shivering, he flicked water from his whiskers and settled down to sleep. Echobreeze and Fawnstep were already breathing evenly, and Pinefrost wasn't far behind.

 _StarClan, please show me if I made the right decision,_ Stormpaw prayed, closing his eyes.

He woke up standing in a grassy clearing in the middle of sunhigh. He wasn't sure where he was—it didn't look like the Starpool, or any of the areas around it. _This looks like the training hollow in our territory_ , he realized.

"Stormfeather!"

He didn't turn at first. _Who's that?_

"Stormfeather! You mousebrain!"

He finally turned. His heart soared. Aspenpaw was bounding towards him, her eyes shining. But she was grown, her shoulders wide like her fathers and with the brilliant amber eyes of her mother that shone in her black face.

"Aspenpaw," he called back, happy as a jaybird.

"Who's that?" she joked, rubbing her face against his. "Stormfeather, you can't call me by my apprentice name forever!"

 _Apprentice name? Are you a warrior?_ Confused, Stormpaw pulled back, looking at her. She stared up at him, bewildered.

"What's wrong?" she asked, tipping her head. "Is it something I said?"

He found himself shaking his head. "Of course not," he purred. _I can be happy! No prophecy from StarClan, no living in the medicine den, I'm a warrior and I can be with Aspenpaw!_

"Come on, mouse brain," she mewed, pulling away. "Tuftystar sent us to hunt, remember?"

 _Tuftystar? That means…Splashstar died? Why? When?_ Stormpaw's heart began to pound. _What else in the camp has changed?_

"Come on!" she called again, leaping away. "Badgerfur and Petalblaze are waiting for us!"

 _Badgerpaw and Petalpaw._ Stormpaw leapt after Aspenpaw. _I want to see the camp!_

* * *

After hunting for a bit, they returned to camp with two squirrels and a vole. Stormpaw bounded ahead of Amberpaw and ducked into the thorn tunnel. It seemed tighter than he remembered. At a glance, it looked the same. Badgerpaw and Petalpaw were sharing tongues by the prey pile. They looked up when they saw Stormpaw and Aspenpaw.

"Stormfeather! Aspentail!" Badgerpaw called. The two apprentices— _warriors—_ trotted over, depositing their prey with the other catches. "Tuftystar asked me to have you guys lead a patrol along the MoonClan border. I'm staying in camp." This last part was purred as he nuzzled Petalpaw on the neck. "We have some special news!"

"What is it?" Aspenpaw pressed up against Stormpaw.

"I'm expecting, Aspentail!" Petalpaw exclaimed. Stormpaw's heart stopped cold.

"Congratulations, Petalblaze!" he found himself saying. His sister cast him a glance, and Stormpaw was shocked to see the hatred there.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" she asked cruelly. Stormpaw took a step back.

 _Where's Skyleap? Where's Talonslash? They'll know what's wrong._ Stormpaw dipped his head awkwardly to Badgerpaw and went after Aspenpaw as she walked away.

"Are—Are Skyleap and Talonslash on patrol?" Stormpaw dared to ask. Aspenpaw stopped and tipped her head at him curiously.

"Did you hit your head too hard yesterday, Stormfeather?" she asked quietly. "They've both been gone since last leaf-bare, when Pinefrost died."

 _Pinefrost—? My mother, my father…Splashstar._ Stormpaw's world spun.

"I need to go to the medicine den," he stammered. "I don't feel well." Without waiting for a response, he turned and bounded off. He ducked into the dark medicine den, meowing a greeting. His heart froze when he saw the cat that turned to him.

Midnightpaw's eyes were dark and exhausted, but when she saw him, they burned with a hideous fury.

"Midnightpaw!" he exclaimed without thinking. "But—Fawnstep—?"

She flattened her ears and hissed, "Come to rub it in my face too, _Stormfeather_? You're the reason I'm here, you foxheart." She arched her head. "And it's not Midnightpaw anymore. It's Midnightfang. Not that you would care, you self-centered—"

"What—I don't understand," Stormpaw stammered.

"Going to make me relive it _again?_ " Midnightpaw snarled. She paced around him, her tail lashing. "Allow me. Proud little Stormpaw decided he was too good to be a medicine cat and told Pinefrost to shove it up his tail. That leaf-bare, a bout of greencough hit HuntClan's stinky, wet forest camp." Her tail whipped across Stormpaw's nose, making him flinch. "And stupid old Pinefrost was the first cat to get sick, because he was too old to take care of every cat on his own. So, when other cats got sick—Yulethorn, Flowerear, Skyleap, Talonslash, Whiskerfur, Foxtail, Dustdapple, Applebranch, Oakfur, Twisttail, Splashstar—he couldn't heal them. So half the Clan _died_.

"And then poor old HuntClan was left without a medicine cat!" Midnightpaw's eyes widened in mock terror. "Oh, what were they to _do?_ Well, the answer was simple." Her fur fluffed up. "Steal WaveClan's only medicine apprentice, and _force her_ to live in this smelly old camp, far away from her family and any cat she knows and loves, because _Stormfeather_ "—here she stopped and snarled in his face—"decided he was _too good_ to become a medicine cat, because _medicine cats aren't_ real _warriors_. Isn't that what you said?"

Stormpaw felt sick. _This was_ his _fault?_ That explained why Petalpaw was so angry—she probably blamed him for the death of their family. That explained where Splashstar went. That explained… _everything._

Thoroughly horrified, Stormpaw turned and ran out of the den without another word. His stomach was churning and his eyes were blurring over. He shoved past Aspenpaw, who called his name bewilderedly. He raced out of the camp, stumbling over branches and shoving through bushes. His pads burned as they were scraped and cut, his fur was torn out in chunks.

Juniperberry's soft voice echoed in his head. _This is a Clan without Stormpaw the medicine cat. This is a Clan where StarClan's prophecies go unacknowledged. This is the future of HuntClan if our words are ignored. Remember, some storms are hard to forget._

"StarClan!" he wailed to the trees, finally skidding to a halt in the clearing he had woken up in. He thought it was, at least. "StarClan, you've proven your point! I'm sorry I doubted you! Please! Please take me back to the Starpool! I was _wrong!_ I was wrong, I was wrong…"

"Stormpaw. Stormpaw, wake up."

He jerked awake, gasping and struggling to stand. His paws splashed madly in the puddle at his feet and he almost fell in. Teeth latched in his scruff and pulled him backwards. Gasping, with his front soaked in water, he finally stumbled to his paws and turned to stare at the cat behind him.

Echobreeze's sightless eyes stared at him, wide. "Stormpaw, what's wrong? You were kicking and splashing in your sleep, and we couldn't wake you."

Stormpaw stared around. He was back at the Starpool. Pinefrost was still asleep, snoring gently, as was Midnightpaw, with one ear twitching. Echobreeze was in front of him, with Fawnstep slightly behind her, her ears pushed forward and her eyes big and concerned.

Stormpaw shivered as he looked again at Midnightpaw. He couldn't forget the furious blaze burning in her eyes as she stared at him.

"Stormpaw?" Echobreeze murmured.

 _Not Midnightpaw. Midnightfang did that. And Petalblaze hated me. Not Petalpaw. And Tuftystar stole Midnightfang. Not Splashstar, not Tuftyears._ He shook himself. "I'll be okay," he mumbled.

Echobreeze touched her nose to his ear as Pinefrost and Midnightpaw began to stir. "Remember, medicine cats cannot share their dreams."

Still shivering, Stormpaw nodded weakly. All he wanted was to go back to his nest and sleep, and forget his scary dream.

 **Question of the Day: Who's your favorite medicine cat so far? Why?**

 **Read and Review, my lovelies!**


	8. Chapter 8 - Gathering Night

**Ohmygosh! I'm so sorry it's been so long since I've updated! I really hope you guys didn't lose too much faith! ^^;; And thank you SO MUCH if you stuck with me through my awful hiatus! Senior year of high school, in addition to playing two sports, working, and being in my school's travel choir, AND marching band, I have had NO TIME. But now that I'm off for Christmas break, I'll have plenty of time to write and update now!**

 **It means escaping my in-laws. Trust me, I'll be writing more.**

 **SO without further ado, the very very delayed chapter! PLEASE Read and Review!**

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It was another half-moon since his incident at the Starpool. He had settled into his new role as a medicine cat with only some grumbling, mainly under his breath so Pinefrost couldn't hear. Petalpaw had still not spoken to him since the day he had become Pinefrost's apprentice—not that he had much time to chat anyway. Pinefrost always kept him busy with one thing for another, whether it was fetching plants, drying the leaves in the den, sorting through old herbs, or caring for the Clan while Pinefrost was out.

One evening while Stormpaw was out gathering tansy, he heard the faint mews and pawsteps of a patrol from somewhere behind him. He turned, ears pricking, as they crashed through the undergrowth. Through the bracken came Aspenpaw and Petalpaw, their mentors Twisttail and Firefall, and Oakbranch, who was Badgerpaw's mentor.

"Hey," Stormpaw greeted them. Aspenpaw came forward and touched her nose to Stormpaw's, purring. Petalpaw hissed.

"Splashstar wants every cat back at camp as soon as possible," Oakbranch, the eldest warrior in the patrol, stated. Stormpaw ducked away from Aspenpaw, embarrassed, before nodding.

"Let me get this back to camp and come back for the rest," Stormpaw replied. "I'll be quick."

Twisttail noted the large pile of herbs at his paws—a mixture of tansy, watermint, and blackberry branches. "It'll take you more than two trips. Why not have another cat help you?" she suggested.

Firefall, who had seen Petalpaw's hiss of disgust at Aspenpaw, and now noted the way she was glowering at her paws, suggested, "How about Petalpaw stay and help you?"

His apprentice jerked her white and black head up, startled. "O-Oh, but Firefall—"

He silenced her with a look. "I think the fresh air will do you good," he replied.

"I could help!" Aspenpaw exclaimed excitedly. Twisttail flicked her apprentice over the ear sharply with her tail. Aspenpaw ducked away from the brown she-cat. Her amber eyes were embarrassed.

"You two be quick," Oakbranch replied, nodding to Stormpaw. "The Gathering is tonight, and we wouldn't want you to be too tired to make the trip to the island." (Yes I know, good job Feathers, uncreative as always)

"Yes, Oakbranch," Petalpaw muttered. The rest of the patrol headed off towards camp, with Aspenpaw casting one silent, forlorn glance back at Stormpaw.

Left alone, Petalpaw scuffed the dirt next to the blackberry branches, which were thick with leaves and berries. "What're these for?" she asked grudgingly.

"The leaves can be used for bee stings," Stormpaw explained quietly. "A lot of the bees apparently are a lot more active this late in greenleaf, going into leaf-fall, and if any cat steps on one, it can get infected easily." After a pause, he continued with, "The berries are sweet if you eat one. Pinefrost likes to eat them with his tansy."

"No," Petalpaw scoffed. Stormpaw nodded.

"Bite one off and try it," he urged. Still looking skeptical, Petalpaw awkwardly took one between her teeth and jerked it off of the branch. Wrinkling her nose, she chomped it up, and then her lips curled as she swallowed and she jumped backwards.

"It's sour! You lied!" she cried, shaking her head.

"No they're not!" Stormpaw purred. "You just got a green one! The black ones are sweeter."

"I'm not falling for that again!" she exclaimed, shaking her head. "You stinky medicine cats can eat your berries, I'll stick to mice!"

They both purred for a minute before trailing off. Stormpaw pushed the rest of the tansy into a pile and Petalpaw scuffed the ground again as an awkward silence fell over them.

"Look, Stormpaw…" She sighed. "I…I'm sorry. I acted like a kit before. I know…you made the right decision being a medicine cat. I was just upset because you didn't tell me before."

"I didn't have time," Stormpaw admitted. "I should have told you…right after Splashstar told me about the prophecy."

Petalpaw's black ears pricked. "You have a _prophecy?_ " she echoed.

Stormpaw hesitated. _Darn it! Was I not supposed to say anything?_

Petalpaw looked away as he was quiet. "You don't have to tell me," she muttered sullenly.

 _I owe it to her after being such a mouse-brain._ Taking a deep breath, Stormpaw nodded and launched into the story, starting with his talk with Splashstar and Pinefrost as a kit and leading up to his change in apprenticeship. She listened with big, round eyes, her awe growing with each passing word.

"Stormpaw, that's so cool," she breathed. "My own brother, part of a _prophecy!_ "

Not for the first time, a bitterness as tangy as the unripe blackberries rose in his chest. _Sure, I'm part of a prophecy, but has no cat thought to ask me what I_ want _? I can't take a mate, I can't patrol and fight and hunt, I can't even talk to Pinefrost or my own sister about my dreams. I didn't ask for this._

From days ago, Juniperberry's words echoed in Stormpaw's buzzing head. _This is a Clan without Stormpaw the medicine cat._

"Stormpaw?"

He jumped a little, jerked out of his thoughts. Petalpaw was staring at her brother with a look of concern.

"Are you okay? You kind of zoned out there," she meowed. He shook himself. He couldn't unsee Petalblaze.

"Yeah—I'm alright," he muttered, suddenly unwilling to talk any further. "Can you grab those blackberry vines? I'll get the other herbs."

Petalpaw eyed him but didn't say anything else. She flicked her tail over his shoulder as she bent to grab the vines in her teeth.

 _What has this come to_ , a voice in Stormpaw's head groaned. _We used to be tighter than ivy on a tree trunk. Why does my being a medicine cat have to change that?_

Upon returning to camp, they found most of the Clan snoozing in the shade before the Gathering. Jaypaw and Badgerpaw came bounding up as the two apprentices entered the camp.

"Splashstar announced the Gathering party," tiny Jaypaw couldn't help but exclaim. "We're all going!"

" _Most_ all," Badgerpaw murmured. "Aspenpaw and I are staying here. Splashstar said that FireClan has been leaving very aggressive scent marks along the border, so he wants strong warriors and apprentices here if they decide to try something."

Stormpaw, unwilling to chatter like a starling, waved his tail and excused himself, padding towards his rocky den. Behind him, he heard Jaypaw mutter, "He's been getting more and more distant."

"Maybe it's just medicine cat stuff," Badgerpaw replied.

Petalpaw, who had hung back, whispered, "I don't know if he's happy."

Stormpaw brushed into the den in annoyance to find Pinefrost lapping at the pool. He raised his grizzled head as Stormpaw silently dropped the herbs and began sorting them.

"Did you fall into a hole or some? You should have been back ages ago," he rasped. "We have lots to do before the Gathering."

"I don't want to go," Stormpaw mumbled, kicking a broken tansy leaf aside.

"Nonsense," Pinefrost stated. "You're a medicine cat, so you have to go, for one. Two, it's your first Gathering! You should be excited."

Stormpaw said nothing.

Pinefrost sat down with a sigh. "Stormpaw, I am more than your mentor. I am your—how should I put this—kin in medicine. There are things that you'll have to talk about that only I will understand or even comprehend."

"How do you know StarClan meant _me_?" Stormpaw suddenly demanded before he could stop himself, almost before Pinefrost had finished. "Any cat could be named Storm. I didn't ask for this—stupid job." Then he caught himself, but too late. "I didn't mean it like that."

"I know you wanted to be a warrior," Pinefrost murmured. "And I wanted you to be, I did, Stormpaw. You have the makings of a great warrior. Your wide shoulders and paws would be great in battle. Your strong legs would make you a fine hunter. But even you know you can't focus on hunting, or on fighting. You can't understand the differences between hunting mice and rabbits. You can't _remember_ , Stormpaw."

Stormpaw became angry—was Pinefrost just going to poke at his flaws? He spun with an angry retort hot on his tongue.

" _But_ ," Pinefrost drove on, "you can remember herbs. You can focus on injuries, remedies, wraps, and even where the plants are. You can see a plant once and recall exactly where it grows in the forest, what it looked like, what it smelled like, and how the sun looks on the leaves. Your prophecy, Stormpaw, was 'some storms are hard to _forget_ '."

"I know that," he grumbled.

"That was a reference to your memory. Juniperberry also showed me a vision of a storm with green lighting." Pinefrost flicked an ear. "Green like your eyes."

Stormpaw stared at the ground.

"Stormpaw, you are the one that StarClan wanted to keep HuntClan safe once I am gone."

Midnightfang's face blazed across Stormpaw's mind, making him shiver.

Pinefrost rose stiffly and touched his nose to Stormpaw's ear. "If you're still feeling unsure, we can go to the Starpool again to speak with StarClan. It doesn't just have to be at the half-moon."

Stormpaw shrugged, turning away. "I just—feel like StarClan made a mistake." He stared into the pool at his fluffy gray face. "What if it's not me? What if it's another Storm? Another cat."

"StarClan is never wrong," Pinefrost asserted.

"But what if _you_ are?" Stormpaw demanded before he could stop himself. Pinefrost seemed to wilt but his eyes lit up dangerously.

"Stormpaw, why can't you just accept your destiny?" he growled. "Medicine cats aren't so awful—would you say that to Echobreeze—Fawnstep—Midnightpaw? Life isn't _fair_ , Stormpaw, so the sooner you accept that, the better."

Stormpaw was shocked at the old cat's ferocity. "Pinefrost, I—"

"I know this isn't what you wanted," he plowed on, bristling, "but it's what you're destined for. And do you think I _asked_ for an ungrateful apprentice? I'm old—StarClan knows, I have to take what I can get."

"Pinefrost, I didn't mean—"

He suddenly looked exhausted, and older than Stormpaw had ever seen him. "I know what you meant, Stormpaw." He turned stiffly toward the entrance. "Stay or go—I don't care."

He shambled out, and Stormpaw was alone, feeling lower than a worm's belly. Growling to himself, he kicked a pebble. It bounced into the pool with a tiny _plunk_.

 _I'll go,_ Stormpaw thought bitterly. _I'll go, and I'll sit among the other apprentices who_ chose _their destiny, who talk to each other about what they learn every day, who share stories, and I'll sit with the other cats and watch every other cat enjoy themselves._

With another growl, aloud this time, he stared down at his reflection, shoulders hunched. His green eyes mocked him.

He lashed out and slashed through the water. It splashed up his front and soaked his paws, but he didn't care. He couldn't even find the energy to lick himself dry. Stormpaw sat there, watching the water settle, staring at the dirt, wondering how his life had gotten turned so upside down. He sat there until Splashstar's call rang through the gathering night.

Stormpaw ambled into the clearing after a quick but half-hearted grooming. Skyleap rushed up to meet him.

"Your fur is a mess!" she chided gently, licking his head and shoulders fiercely. "Are you excited? Your first Gathering!"

"Of course I am," Stormpaw lied, forcing a purr.

"Your sister is going too," she continued, her eyes shining. "You'll get to meet the other apprentices, and cats from other Clans! It's a lot to take in at first, but you'll soon get very comfortable."

"Mother, I have to sit with the other medicine cats," he murmured, "and I've already met them, at the half-moon, remember?"

"Well, I'm sure Pinefrost won't be opposed to you mingling some," she dismissed, flicking her tail. She seemed not to notice her son's discomfort, which upset Stormpaw. Pinefrost didn't care, Petalpaw was happy so she wouldn't understand, Amberpaw, Badgerpaw, and Jaypaw weren't close enough that he could confide in them, and his own parents didn't even _notice_.

His mother continued meowing, but he let his gaze drift over the assembled cats, ready to make the run to the island. Foxtail and Whiskerfur were chattering excitedly about their first Gathering as warriors. Sweetriver and Sunfur were talking in low tones. Tuftyears and Flywing were meowing together with Firefall, Petalpaw, and Twisttail. Mallowwhisker and Morningflower were gulping down a hasty snack before the patrol left. The other apprentices were playfighting, and were quickly scolded into silence by Sweetriver.

"HuntClan!" Splashstar's call cut over Skyleap's mew, and Stormpaw's attention was drawn to the blue and white tomcat standing on the Speaking Rock. "Are we ready to go?"

Pinefrost melted from the crowd and stood at Stormpaw's side. "So you chose to come," he rumbled quietly so Skyleap didn't hear. Stormpaw didn't reply. Skyleap licked her son's head one last time.

"We'll see you there," she purred, slipping away, probably in search of Talonslash.

"Are you ready for the run?" Pinefrost asked as Splashstar sprang down from the rock and squeezed out through the thorn tunnel. The Clan began to follow.

"Ready or not," Stormpaw muttered, referencing the old hiding games that they played in the nursery.

The two medicine cats brought up the rear of the patrol as they slipped out of the camp and into the night.

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 **Reviews are love! :3 (even though my lazy ass doesn't deserve it but oh well?)**

 **A/N: I know the island is kind of overused, but trust me, I'm making it work XD**


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